a snippet of life. (if you relate to it, great.. if not, Oh well)

I've been here a bit... Not as long as some, but longer than many.

Life is so strange.... Call me what you will, but just tonight, my wife, companion of twelve years introduced me to Lou Reed. Mind you, I am not a "music" person. I found the music quite relevant. I discovered that he was the originator of "Sweet Jane", a song I have always attributed to Cowboy Junkies... I love the song nonetheless.

All that aside, I just listened to Lou Reed's greatest hits.. (according to youtube), and just loved the hell out of it.

All of this has led me to believe that there are no new ideas left in the world... It has all been done. We are living on "repeat", only the copy gets worse as it is re-uploaded. Nothing is original. We are simply copies of copies of copies.... We are being uploaded to the collective memory, but in a degenerated form.

It is all maddening.. It would seam that there is no original thought.. Only perturbations on original ideas. Music is a perfect example.. Music was once a science of the soul, now the science is known and they use it to manipulate the soul.

There are other references, musically that lead me to believe this..

I have loved so many reinterpretations of older music... Ministry did a version of Lay Lady Lay that i thoroughly enjoy far more than the original. My wife loves the originals of all music, but for me, I generally enjoy remakes.

I don't know, It just seems that somebody needs to "feel" something, write about it, and if it is relative then it is renowned.

However, the caveat here is that these things were discerned long ago, and we are ignorant if we don't acknowledge the past through the music, poetry, art, or writings of the times.

It truly seems that the book of Ecclesiastes holds true...

For the record, I'm no bible-thumper.. That particular book seems to hold true for whoever reads it. It is so sensible.

I don't know what the point of all of this is, and I don't really care, but I would like to talk about it.

We are all human after all. I value the opinions of humans who realize they are human.

a reply to: Bobaganoosh

I believe whilst we have the same 8 notes and patterns (scales) drummed into us from an early age then creativity is stifled.

New/original art is often not considered because it doesn't follow the correct paradigms which we have conditioned into us.

Indeed, there are only so many sound frequencies, there are only so many beats to a bar - but I still believe originality can exist.

Listening to pop music, popular music, famous music - these will all be rehashes and repeats, because that is what sells easiest so that is what is promoted most.

However that said, give a man something to make music with and he will nearly always play in 4/4. Perhaps we need to start giving instruments to monkeys and not giving them any idea of what music is... See what come out.

I am a musician. I tend to naturally gravitate towards odd time signatures and exotic scales.
King Crimson, Tool, Soundgarden. That's the kind of stuff I rock to. Zappa is a god.

First off let me say....FINALLY A ORIGINAL THOUGHT!!!
Great topic!

I disagree we've heard it all before simply due to the fact our hearing is so limited, physically that is. It's true music in particular has been manipulated it has to do ( explaining this badly) with the switch from analog to digital, something about the hertz going from a larger number to a smaller one that humans react less positively too?

Despite that....there is plenty of great original music being made, if you dig around in unusual corners for it. The oldsters who are at the top of their game made plenty of stinkers before they had their flashes of genius. It's true you can detect whiff's & riff's of other songs in newer songs, but more importantly it's interesting to wait a minute and see where the younger artist goes with it.

__and14263
I've noticed music runs in cycles....each "mini era" has a grouping of amazing stuff that kind of peters out, then will pick up again in a yr or so. Each cycle hits a certain "vibe". Where I am this spring & summer it's been

Strand Of Oaks
Calexico
Lord Huron
Beck
Mumford & Sons
My Morning Jacket
Jason Isabel
Cold War Kids
First Aide Kit
Sonny Landreth

There hasn't been this good a "grouping" since 2006. ( personal choice & resonance of course) This is of course just a snippet. It's not taking into account what's going on with bluegrass and blues, or cajun, or the alt-scene. Lots of new stuff has been coming out of Iceland this summer as well.

My point is, yes the oldsters may set a baseline, but it's temporary and mutable. If your position is we're just re-running a paler version of older stuff....well tell me where in the 1600's was their Clapton, Knophler, Thompson?


...and no...classical music doesn't count as an answer!

a reply to: Bobaganoosh

You are right....there is very little that hasn't been done.

But you can still find amazing music that comes out on "first run" basis. Anything that Maynard Keenan touches is amazing. Radiohead....another one of "those" that is amazing. You might try Them Crooked Vultures for another unique sound.

Anyway, i freaking LOVE Lou Reed.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

You just enjoy a "walk on the wild side" ...your avvy says it all.

Got a ball ?



ETA: ... classic stuff !

a reply to: Bobaganoosh
You wouldn't believe how many songs have the same four chords. Check it out:

a reply to: Skid Mark

Nice one Skid !!

Those guys are very clever ...

I wanted to answer this thread but what's the point? All have been said and answered anyway before...
S&F for a great insight. (this also have been given before)

a reply to: Timely
It always makes me laugh when I see it. I really never paid much attention before watching it but now I do.

a reply to: Bobaganoosh

It's obvious, to me at least, that we've never met.

I'm just brimming with original ideas. Just ask my last sexual partner

But seriously, if life is like a song that keeps repeating, why don't we know all the words yet? Why haven't we gotten the rythym down yet? Or the tune?

Why do we all walk around looking for someone to lead us? Are we that stupid? Are we that blind to a reality that, in your opinion, is on a continousl loop?

I beg to differ. Tell Frank Zappa that there is no originality left in the world. Or Pink Floyd. (Anyone who has tried to emulate them, have come across as 3rd graders banging on a xylophone) Or the thousands of other musicians out there who bring something new to the table every time they pick up an instrument.

The originality lies in those who don't conform to society. Look outside the box long enough and you'll see them. Live outside the box long enough and you'll feel them.

Have a good day sweetie.

Wow, something else must take over the controls in the wee hours of the morning. I had no recollection of making this thread, though I do remember going to bed around 5:00 this morning. I must have gone momentarily obsessive over Lou Reed and lost myself entirely in the music.

I also would like to thank the members for posting the videos and making suggestions of other artists out there that they find original. I will check them out.

I just look back on what was truly original, like some suggested, Pink Floyd, Cat Stevens, Jethro Tull, the list is massive.
It just seems harder to find the good stuff that is now. It's as if one must sift through a mountain of garbage to find one gem. The gems seem rarer, and even then, flawed.

I obsessed over Band of Horses for a while. Loved Mumford and Sons, dig Florence and the Machine. I go through cycles in the types of music I seek. It's just funny to me when I find something old, that I never knew existed, and it stirs my soul in the way that I have been searching the new and now for.

to all.

a reply to: Bobaganoosh
That's funny. Were you drunk posting? Maybe went into a fugue state? Just be glad that you didn't post anything embarrassing.

a reply to: Skid Mark

Probably a little of both. Shift work schedule and IPA's don't mix. Still I was having a good night. I think I've only gone into DP rant-mode a couple of times. Fortunately I don't rant about family or friends, so those cases came with little consequence.

Okay now things get strange. I'm not sure that I buy into synchronicity, but here goes.

The opening song for two of my shows has featured my favorite Lou Reed song. Coincidence? I am not supposed to buy into coincidence.

Fear the Walking Dead, and now Gotham. Both within days......WTF? Somebody?

Not like this was a trend before this moment.

Just a perfect day I suppose.